Miss Universe 2025 Update: Claude Makélélé, Omar Harfouch's Resignations Plunge Pageant Into Crisis

The final countdown to the Miss Universe 2025 pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, has been catastrophically derailed by a crisis of integrity, culminating in the swift, high-profile resignations of two of its judges. The pageant, which prides itself on transparency and global representation, has been plunged into chaos just days before the 21 November finale.

The crisis began with musician Omar Harfouch, who announced his bombshell withdrawal from the selection committee, alleging that the Top 30 finalists had already been chosen by a covert 'impromptu jury.'

Following quickly in his footsteps was French football legend Claude Makélélé, the only African representative on the committee, who also announced his resignation within hours of Harfouch's public exit. The dual departures have created a shadow of doubt over the legitimacy of the entire competition.

Miss Universe Hit By Double Resignation: Omar Harfouch's Allegations Of Corruption

On Tuesday, 18 November, composer Omar Harfouch posted a series of dramatic statements to his Instagram Stories to detail his reasons for withdrawal. He began by expressing his 'profound confusion and concern' after learning that an 'impromptu jury' was allegedly formed to choose the 30 finalists from the 136 countries meant to participate.

Harfouch claimed that he learned about the existence of this clandestine selection committee via social media. Crucially, he alleged that none of the 'real' eight judges were present when the group convened, stating that 'The results of this selection are currently being kept secret.'

The musician then escalated his accusations, alleging that the unofficial judging panel is 'composed of individuals with a significant potential conflict of interest due to some [personal] relationships with some of the Miss Universe contestants, including the person responsible for counting the votes and managing the results, which constitutes a further conflict of interest.'

Harfouch claimed that after raising his 'disapproval of this preliminary selection' with Miss Universe officials, the organisation responded defensively, rushing 'to publish a list of names associated with the selection on their Instagram page,' without detailing their specific roles.

Harfouch concluded his involvement by stating: 'After having a disrespectful conversation with [Miss Universe CEO] Raul Rocha about the lack of transparency in the Miss Universe voting process, l decided to resign from the jury and refuse to be part of this charade.'

Miss Universe Organisation Denies Claims And Publicly Prohibits Harfouch

Following Harfouch's sensational exit, the Miss Universe Organisation posted a statement on 18 November denying the allegations and assuring the public of its commitment to transparent processes.

'The Miss Universe Organization firmly clarifies that no impromptu jury has been created, that no external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists, and that all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols,' the statement read.

The organisation acknowledged Harfouch's withdrawal but went a step further, publicly prohibiting the former judge from 'using, displaying, referencing, or associating himself with any Miss Universe trademarks, service marks, logos, titles, or registered properties'.

The dual resignations compound an already chaotic competition in Bangkok. Makélélé's unexpected departure, citing 'unforeseen personal reasons', coupled with Harfouch's allegations of corruption, has fuelled concerns over the integrity of the selection process just two days before the highly anticipated international event.